Mistletoe
by Cy Fur
Summary: Rikku expounds on Al Bhed traditions. Rikku/Paine.


**I do not own Final Fantasy X/X2 and any characters thereof, and will not be making any money off of them.**

Paine loves Rikku, in her own quiet way. Although she'll never actually admit it. Out loud. Alright, so maybe once or twice… but not around anyone else! Because Paine has an image to keep up, after all. But when you've been sharing a bed (and a sleeping mat, and an old chocobo blanket on the ground) for two years, you're either fond of each other or masochistic to the point of ridiculousness. However, sometimes Paine has to wonder italicswhy/italics.

Like now.

"Isn't it nice?" Rikku stands on tiptoe to stare up at the lintel, jiggling on her heels and looking sidelong at Paine.

"What is it?" Paine looks up as well, ignoring (only not) the way Rikku's scarf brushes against her bare side whenever Rikku twitches.

"Mistletoe." Rikku grins at Paine. "You're not so much of a Yevonite that you don't know about mistletoe, right?"

Paine rolls her eyes. She was never much of a Yevonite, but how much can a none-Al Bhed know from Al Bhed traditions? "Care to explain?"

"Brother probably hung it up there." Rikku inches closer, until her hip is pressed against Paine's, her scarf tickling the bare skin of Paine's sides. "Bet he's planning on cornering Yunie at some point." She giggles, wrapping an arm around Paine's middle after surreptitiously checking that nobody else is around - she doesn't mind the whole world knowing that they're keeping company, but Paine tends to get a little touchy about other people seeing her being physical with… anyone. Breaks the big tough warrior image or something.

"What are you talking about?" Paine lets Rikku manhandle (woman-handle?) her, letting her own hand rest on Rikku's lower back. She has an idea of what Rikku's talking about, but she isn't sure, and it can't hurt to double check, right? Anyway, Rikku can be amusing when she's attempting to explain something to Paine.

"You know from mistletoe, right?" Rikku moved closer, her breath warm on Paine's neck. Her hand creeps over to Paine's hip.

"Not really," Paine says.

"It's an old Al Bhed tradition," Rikku says, nuzzling Paine's neck. "You know how the long night is coming, right?"

"Right." Paine tries not to get too distracted by Rikku's warm breath on her neck or Rikku's ticklish fingertips ghosting over her skin.

"So we put the mistletoe up to keep any bad spirits from getting into our houses." Rikku nibbles gently at Paine's neck.

"Bad spirits don't like mistletoe?" Paine is embarrassed at how her voice cracks. Sort of. She's having trouble thinking in complete sentences.

"Oh, they don't mind it…" Rikku kisses her on the neck, gently. "It's what the mistletoe does that they don't like."

"What does mistletoe do?" Paine shivers. Alright, Rikku is definitely planning something. Paine just can't find it in her to italicscare/italics..

Instead of answering, Rikku stands on tiptoe and kisses Paine, kisses her flat on the mouth, using her lips and her teeth and her tongue. It nearly knocks Paine over, because Rikku is a better kisser then she has a right to be, young as she is.

Paine won't fight her off - she kisses Rikku right back, kisses her with her whole mouth, her tongue and her teeth and her lips, hot and soft and wet, until Paine feels herself melting, from her mouth to her neck to her chest to her hips to her legs, down into her boots and through the leather into the metal of the airship. She jumps when she hears the rough clearing of a throat.

"Um… excuse me…" Yuna is blushing brightly. "I'd like to go into the kitchen, please?"

Rikku grins at Yuna, looking slightly sheepish, then actually italicssmirks/italics. "Sure. You just gotta pay the toll."

"Toll?" Yuna sounds slightly disbelieving and more then slightly befuddled.

"Yeah. See, you just saw Paine pay it. Anyone who wants to go through the door has to kiss me, see? Old Al Bhed tradition!" She grins proudly, then squawks when Paine hits her on the back of the head as she stalks off to calm the blush that's burning her cheeks.

"Um…" Yuna is blushing harder, unsure of whether Rikku is being serious or not.

Rikku leans forward and puckers her lips expectantly, still grinning somewhat. She always gets… silly, when she's horny.

Paine stalks back, rolling her eyes, and tugs Rikku away by her scarf. "Come on, you…"

"If you all get eaten by evil spirits, it won't be my fault!" Rikku yells cheerfully as she half-staggers her way after Paine.


End file.
